So many fees!

[MartinMemo]

So I had booked a few saver lite fares for the AFF Xmas Train Crawl, MEL-SYD/CBR-MEL.
Since then something has come up requiring me to be in ADL on the friday, so I thought I would just re-rout my MEL-SYD to ADL-SYD and pay the $80 fee... but thats not all folks!
Called the GCC to be told it was possible for $80, an hour later called again to be told it wasnt possible, and 5 mins after that was told it was possible again, but not for $80-.
It is $80 + $35 + $7.70 CC fee... Considering I cant change it online, nor can I pay with anything but CC over the phone I cant understand all these fees?! To top it off the MEL-ADL flight I chose to use PayPal, a new VA feature, that still charges $7.70? As a PayPal used I know for a fact the fee is nothing close to that...
I suppose there isnt anything I can do but just needed a rant. Enjoy!

 

[lukenet]

I am sick of the extra costs to change a so called flexi fares..

You buy a flexi fare, well, because it is supposed to be flexible. But, if they have increased the fare rate after you have purchased it, you pay the difference when you want to change the flight.. They always seem to change the fares costs these days..

 

[MartinMemo]

Every time i have to change A flight I ask myself why I didnt book flexi, but then I remember half the fees would still be charged on flexi?!

 

[markis10]

I am sick of the extra costs to change a so called flexi fares..

You buy a flexi fare, well, because it is supposed to be flexible. But, if they have increased the fare rate after you have purchased it, you pay the difference when you want to change the flight.. They always seem to change the fares costs these days..

Every time i have to change A flight I ask myself why I didnt book flexi, but then I remember half the fees would still be charged on flexi?!

There are no fees for a flex change, just fare difference, same over the other side at QF, a little while ago a friend of mine thought he would try to get home to Sydney from Darwin earlier, the difference was $1300!

 

[MartinMemo]

There are no fees for a flex change, just fare difference, same over the other side at QF, a little while ago a friend of mine thought he would try to get home to Sydney from Darwin earlier, the difference was $1300!

Are you sure they dont re-charge the $7.70 CC fee if there is a fare difference though>

 

[anat0l]

I'm surprised you were not up for any fare difference on the Saver Lites. That would be small bikkies for a change, then...

There's a thread around here somewhere talking about Flexi fares not really being, well, flexible...

Paypal costs 3% according to some off-hand quote from someone before who used to be a merchant. Of course, VA, like everyone else and like credit cards, are likely just to set some arbitrary flat figure rather than levy a non-fixed percentage.

The credit card surcharge on payments exceeding a certain amount is painful, especially if you've already been charged this fee on the original booking. I wonder if QF does this too... (last time I thought I remember this doesn't happen)

 

[MartinMemo]

Yeah there was a $4- fare differance - in forsight, it cost me the same to change as it would have to book another ticket :\

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Yeah there was a $4- fare differance - in forsight, it cost me the same to change as it would have to book another ticket :\

I nearly always book the cheapest I can. If I need to change, I forfeit and rebook.

A few years ago I did do the figures and over the course of a year, my method was far cheaper than buying flexis. Why stress out?

 

[MartinMemo]

Haha. I reason, just needed a vent last night I think and VA were the last people I dealt with!

 

[Happy Dude]

I am sick of the extra costs to change a so called flexi fares..

You buy a flexi fare, well, because it is supposed to be flexible. But, if they have increased the fare rate after you have purchased it, you pay the difference when you want to change the flight.. They always seem to change the fares costs these days..

+1 here. I learnt the hard way that there's cheap flexis and expensive flexis and a few flexis in between. I even went to the trouble of calling up and asking how I can book into the highest fare bucket so that I may rock up to the checkin and change my flight and not feel like I'm at the casino. But there's just no way to know which you're getting. It's too confusing and too inflexible. How am I to know the basis of fare increases (which you rightly point out seems to happen every time)? I just take the word of the VA rep on the phone.....

 

[grubbidok]

I nearly always book the cheapest I can. If I need to change, I forfeit and rebook.

A few years ago I did do the figures and over the course of a year, my method was far cheaper than buying flexis. Why stress out?

+1. Plus when combined with Fly Forward, this way actually is quite flexible.